The Darkened Heart
by Drakeule
Summary: 33 years after Eli and Oskar leave Stockholm they go their separate ways.


January 5th 2015

Eli is walking home one night after a fairly easy hunt.

A drunk had decided to sleep it off in a alley not far from the local bar. Eli had stumbled upon him as he lay passed out next to a dumpster. The man was so intoxicated he put up no fight whatsoever. Never even knew it was happening as far as she could tell. _If only they were all this easy,_ she thought. Then it hit her. That drunken feeling she was no fan of. _This man must have paid the light bill with the amount of liquor he consumed._ She swayed, her visioned blurred. She nearly stumbled when she stepped over the man to snap his neck. _Need to dump this guy somewhere_. But the mere thought of flying above the roof tops carrying someone or not made her stomach cut flips. She decided it was ok to be sloppy. Just this once. _What am i supposed to do? Give a dead man with a broken neck a piggy back ride to the nearest river? No one would notice that._ She let out a little drunken giggle. No. Much easier to throw him in the dumpster. Throw a few trash bags over him. Hopefully no one would notice. At least not anytime soon.

 _Well so much for flying._ _Better walk this one off._. After cleaning herself with some water from a faucet she headed home. Back to her new temporary home anyway. She lived in moldy old house that should have been condemned years ago in Norrkoping. Lucky for her it had a nice, cool cellar to spend her lonely nights in. It has been five years sense she had last seen Oskar. Thirty six years is along time for couples to be together. Much less twelve year olds. She couldn't bring herself to find another familiar. Only her beloved Oskar would do. All these thoughts entered her mind on her way home. _What have I done? Where did we go wrong? He said he needed time to think. Said he just needed to be on his own for awhile._ She tried to talk him out of it of coarse. Asked him to stay. But even she could feel that they where growing apart. Something in the way that he would look at her. He was thinking something. Though he would never say. She thought it best not to ask. But since he left, she had been miserable. Every night all she could do was live. If this is what you call this. Going through the paces mechanically.

As she walked home, a headline at the newspaper kiosk caught her attention. "Possible Copy Cat Killer in Stockholm". "Nearly thirty six years after the infamous "Bathhouse Massacre of Blackeberg". "Six victims have been found drained of blood in a two week period. Only difference is all of the victims heads and hands along with any possible tattoos or other markings have been removed. All in a attempt to make victims bodies hard to if not impossible to identify". When she read this she could not help but gasp and grab her mouth. She whispered to herself. "Oskar... No..."

January 10th 2015 11:30 PM

A police officer making his way down a dark, quiet street in south Stockholm passes a young boy with short blond hair and wearing a dark grey hoodie, blue jeans, and a blue waterproof backpack. The boy couldn't be older than thirteen as far as he could tell. They never made eye contact. As he passed the boy he was overcome by a powerful smell. He pinched his nose and turned to the boy. "Jeez kid, you smell funny, you know that? And why are you out so late?." The boy stopped. One eyebrow raised and he turned and faced the officer. "What do you have in that bag? A dead cat?" "No."replied the boy "We don't exactly get along these days." He said with a slight smirk.

"Let me see what you have there. In the backpack."

"You really want to see what's in here?"

"Yes open it right now!"

"As you wish. Step this way officer."

The boy stepped in between two buildings. When the officer followed him in, the boy was crouched down. His head and shoulders were covered in shadow, but the open backpack was lit by the street lamps from the outside. What he saw puzzled the officer. From what he could tell, it looked like clots of blood and... tufts of human hair. When he raised his eyes to meet the boy's, he saw two glowing blue cat's eyes staring back at him with a toothed grin on the boy's face. The officer stumbled back and reached for his SIG Sauer P225 pistol. At boy leaped straight up into the air. The officer looked up but saw nothing. From behind a clawed hand struck the officer's right hand, severing three fingers. The fingers, along with the gun, hit the ground. The echo of the pistol, bouncing away across the concrete sidewalk, resounded with a clanging noise. The officer let out a loud scream that was quickly cut short when two hands wrapped around his neck, crushing his Adam's apple to the back of his throat. After a futile struggle, he lost consciousness, never to awake again.

This had become Oskar's favorite way to take down his victims. Beats crushing them as he fed while they wiggled around and screamed. No this was much quieter and easy. Only problem was you had to drink fast before the heart stopped. After all, dead blood is no good. He leaned down and drank his fill. _Now to make this a little harder for the next cop who comes along._ He pulled out his hunter's knife from the front pouch of his backpack. He cut a clean line around the officer's wrists. Snapped them back and forth till the bones broke and the hands came off. Now the head. He did the same around his neck. One clean cut all the way around. Then with a hard twist, the spine broke and the head popped right off. He stuffed these in his backpack. Then he turned around and looked at the uniform. "That's going to make it too easy," He said to himself. _Now to get this guy off the street._ He looked around the alleyway and noticed a door that was locked by a simple key lock. He walked up to it, grabbed it, and twisted it until it broke free from the latch. He looked inside and noticed it was some sort of storage room. He dragged the body in and covered it with black trash bags he found. He then stuffed it in the corner behind a stack of five gallon buckets. As he walked out, shutting the door behind him, he saw her. Standing in the alleyway by the street. Wearing a dirty old white sweater and black sweatpants. Her hair clumped and tangled again like she hadn't bothered with it in weeks. She stared him straight in the eyes and said. "Oskar. We need to talk..."

January 10th 11:50 PM

"Oskar, what are you doing? Why are you killing so many people in such a short amount of time?" I know you don't need that much blood to survive." He sighed and looked at her. "If you really want to have this conversation we should move somewhere a little more private." She nodded in agreement. He removed his hoodie and tied it around his waist. She did the same with her sweater. He placed the backpack's top handle into his mouth, willed his arms to wings and took flight. She did the same and followed. They flew north to a wooded area next to a lake. When they landed, he took the contents from his backpack and threw them as far as he could into the lake. She landed next to him, withdrew her wings and put her sweater back on. He dipped the open backpack into the water, picked it up and shook it around before dumping the rest of the water back into the lake. Then he put his hoodie back on and threw the backpack back over his shoulder.

"Why do you do that? Dismember them like that?"

"Never told you about an old hobby of mine? Before I met you, I used to keep a scrapbook of local murders. I was fascinated on what weapons they would use and how they would hide the bodies or at least try to destroy them. Just take away their identity. No face, no fingerprints and no teeth. They have no idea who they even found. The old man you used to live with knew this. If it wasn't for that watch, they may have never figured it out."

"But Oskar. All those people. Someone is bound to report them missing.

"People... Those weren't people. Pedophiles, wife beaters, drug dealers and prostitutes. No one is going to miss them. If anything, I did the world a favor. Anyone who knew them is better off without them. Why ruin it by looking for them?"

"And that officer?"

"Well. He was just too nosey... I would have let him walk right by had he minded his own business."

"What happened to you? You used to be so kind. You dont seem like the Oskar I know at all. You're acting like..."

"A monster? You should know. After all you're the one who made me."

"I didn't make you Oskar. You were given a choice."

"A choice!? What choice? Become your next caretaker? Or even better. Take the charge of being an accomplice to the murder of two children. Hell they might have even added on the kid in the park, that man in the lake, even that poor lady whose house you set on fire. They would have locked me up and thrown away the key."

"But I saved your life. I loved you."

"I saved you first Eli. What would have happened if I hadn't stopped that guy in your apartment? If you hadn't killed his friend and attacked his girlfriend, he never would have come after you. All those people dead, and you have the nerve to call me a monster? What makes you and different than that vampire who turned you?"

"Its not like that. I'm nothing like him at all!"

"Oh really? Forced to be somewhere you didn't want to be. Torn away from your family. Turned into this abomination. Sound familiar? At least you knew he was evil. You came to me as a demon disguised as an angel."

"Oskar I never tried to trick you. I told you from the start we couldn't be friends. But you made me fall in love with you.

"Yeah well I guess I should have taken your advice."

Eli sunk to her knees. She put her head in her hands and started crying uncontrollably. Oskar walked right past her heading towards the woods. He turned his head to the side. "I'm going to see if I can salvage any part of this wretched life. Do us both a favor. Go home and don't follow me.

January 13th 2015 8:30 PM

Yvonne Eriksson finishes her dinner and sets about to get ready for bed. She puts the dishes in the sink and heads to the bathroom to wash up before going to sleep, but stops when she hears a knock at the door. She opens the door and finds a young boy in a grey hoodie with the top over his head. She asks "Yes? Can i help you?" without looking up the boy asks. "Miss Eriksson?" "Yes that's me." She says "And who are you?" "I don't want to alarm you but I know what happened to your son Oskar." She frowned. "Is this some sort of joke?" "No ma'am. I swear this is no joke. May I come in?" She sticks her head outside and looks around, sees no one. "Fine, come on in." The boys steps inside and looks around. "So what's this all about?" she asks "I haven't seen or heard from him in over thirty five years." "Promise me you won't scream." He said. "What on earth do you mean?" She asked. "I mean what I'm about to tell you is going to be very hard to understand. Just don't freak out ok?" She stood there for a minute, not sure what to think. Finally she said "Ok I promise." The boy pulled the hood off of his head and looked up at her. She grabbed her mouth to suppress the look of shock on her face.

"Oskar, is that you?"

"Yes mamma, it's me"

"This is impossible. It's a miracle!"

"No mom, it's far from a miracle..."

On her knees you looked at her long lost son. Tears of joy ran down her face. Oskar studied her. Her beautiful blond hair now long and grey. Her once smooth youthful skin now wrinkled with age. From between the opening in her nightgown he noticed a vertical scar on her chest. "What happened mom? To your chest I mean" she looked down then back up at him. "I'm getting old sweetheart. My heart isn't as good as it used to be I had to have surgery." "Are you ok?" he asked "I'm fine sweetie. As long as I don't over exert myself or get too surprised. I have to say this is probably as close to the limit as i can take."

"Have you heard from dad lately?

"Oh baby, he died seven years ago. He never could put the bottle down. He developed cirrhosis and his liver failed. I'm sorry"

"Don't be. I can't say I'm surprised."

"So sweetie. Where have you been? What happened to you? And for God's sake, why haven't you aged a day?"

Oskar sighed and looked her in the eyes. "Ok, like I said this is going to be hard to understand. But believe me, it's the truth. You remember all those murders thirty five years ago?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"Well the person responsible for them was our neighbor back then."

"You mean that man?"

"Well yes. But not just him. There was a girl that lived with him. But she wasn't just a girl. In fact she wasn't a girl at all. She was a vampire. He would go out and collect blood for her."

"Oskar, come on. There are no such thing as vampires."

"Mom, look at me. I should be in my forties by now."

"So you're a..."

"Vampire. Yes. She turned me. I thought that was obvious by now. She made me trust her. I was nearly killed by some classmate's brother at the bathhouse. The one I hit in the ear. She saved me mom. I thought I had no choice but to go with her. But I had no idea that being with her would turn me into this. She offered me a choice to be like her. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Forever young with someone I thought I loved. But the cost to live like this... It's more than I expected.

"You mean you have to live off blood?"

"Yes. Unfortunately so. But I do my best mamma. I try to make sure it's someone who hurts people. Someone this world can do without. I promise I would never hurt you."

"And how do I know that?"

"I stayed away this long. I never wanted you to see me like this. But I missed you. You don't know how many times I wanted to call and tell you I was ok. To tell you how much

I missed and loved you."

Tears came to her eyes. "It's ok baby. I believe you. So, what happens now?"

"Well, I just wanted to see you. I can go if you like."

"No sweetie, you're my son, no matter what. Stay here if you like."

"Thank you mom. How is my room?"

"The same as you left it. I didn't have the heart to move anything."

"Great! Do you have any cardboard?"

"Well yes. I had brought home some boxes to pack your things but i just couldn't. Why?"

"Well part of my condition is I'm sensitive to sunlight. Do you have any tape by chance?"

"Yes in the room next to the folded boxes."

"Good. Now I just need to make a few adjustments to the window. And mom..."

"Yes honey?"

"Don't come in until it's dark please. Or better yet, just wait till I come out."

"Sure sweetie, whatever you need."

"Good night mom. You don't know how much this means to me. I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart. I'm so glad you're back. Good night."

Tears filled Yvonne's eyes as she laid in bed. She thanked God for returning her son to her after all these years, then she wiped her eyes and finally drifted into sleep.

January 14th 6:30 PM

Oskar wakes up and looks around his old room. He missed his old cars, his smurfs, and his Goose Bumps books. How long has it been since he could just be a kid? Being carefree. Not worrying about having to hunt and take lives. To not always watch your back to make sure no one spotted you. Sure his childhood was far from perfect. He came from a broken home. He was bullied. But that happened to lots of kids. What he missed the most is that he had parents who loved him. He missed his dad and was sad that he never got the chance to say goodbye. Though he never let him mom know this. But at least he had her. And he wasn't letting that go no matter what.

He stepped out of his room. His mom was making dinner.

"Hi honey. How did you sleep?"

"Oh uh fine thanks."

"I made chicken and steamed broccoli. Are you hungry?"

"No ma'am. And besides, I cant really can't eat that sort of food anymore. But thank you anyway."

"You mean you only drink..."

He cut her off. "Yes. Sorry. That's just how it is now."

"Do you enjoy it? Killing?"

"No. Not really. But if I don't I die. I don't have a choice."

"I'm sorry honey. It must be a nightmare to live that way."

"If i could take it back I would. I wish I

had never met that girl. Never left you. Maybe dad wouldn't have drank himself to death."

"That's no your fault and you know it. Your father had a drinking problem since you were a toddler. That's why we split up in the first place."

"I know. I just thought that if all this hadn't happened that maybe things would have turned out differently."

"Don't blame yourself. Sometimes bad things just happen."

He smiled and looked at her. "You can say that again. Look mom, I need to go out for awhile. I'll be back later."

"Are you going to?" You know."

"No mom. I don't need to do that every night. And no offense but I would never tell you anyway. I wouldn't want to upset you."

He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back later. Don't worry." And he left.

He headed down his old neighborhood taking in the sights. Everything brought back memories. The store where he used to steal candy. The shop where he stole his hunting knife. _And i thought I was bad back then._ He wanted to do something nice for his mom. He found a kiosk that sold flowers and bought a colorful bouquet for her. As he walked home he saw a headline at the newspaper kiosk. "Copy Cat Killer Strikes Again!" As he read on he saw it was about that officer he dumped in the storage room. His first thought. _That's insulting. I'm nothing like that old bastard Eli lived with._ He bought it anyway.

After all he'd been collecting articles of local murderers for years. Now he could add himself to his to head home. He was carrying his items home in a paper bag. When he got close to his apartment complex he had the feeling he was being watched. He turned around, looked left then right. No one in sight. He shrugged it off and went up to his mom's apartment.

He got home around 11:00 PM.

"Mom you're still up?"

"Well of course. I was worried about you. And I was too excited to sleep. How many parents get a second chance to see the child they thought was gone forever?"

He smiled. "I have present for you." He pulled the bouquet out of the bag and handed it to her."

"Oh Oskar I love them. Let me find a vase."

"Ok I'll be right back."

He went into his room and placed the newspaper under his mattress next to his old scrapbook. Then he walked back into the living room. His mom had found a glass vase and had placed the flowers in it on the coffee table.

"They are so beautiful Oskar. Thanks you so much."

"It's the least I can do. I'm sorry I let you worry about me all those years."

"It's ok baby. I'm just glad I got to see you again. Come here."

She was sitting in her recliner in the living room. He bent over and gave her a hug. Then he felt her body tense and start to shake. He looked up at her."Mamma, what's wrong?" Her eyes were glued to the window behind him. He turned just in time to see two glowing eyes surrounded by black matted hair dart out of sight below the window. He turned to her. "Mamma it's ok. It's just her. She won't hurt you, I won't let her hurt you!" His mom's whole body trembled. She clutched her chest and his left arm. Holding on very tightly. "Mom please, it's ok. Please mamma calm down!" She stared at him, still convulsing. Slowly her grip on his arm loosened. She stopped trembling. Soon she was completely still. Oskar grabbed her shoulders. "Mamma? Mamma?" He shook her. No response. He put his ear to her chest. She wasn't breathing. He looked up at her face and noticed her lips were turning blue. Tears came to his eyes. He put his head on her chest and started to cry. Then fury took over. He got up and looked at the window. Without a thought he crashed though it, landing in courtyard below. There he saw her. She had her arms raised up in front of her.

"Oskar I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I couldn't just leave you. The way you were acting... I thought you would get caught or worse..."

"Damn it Eli I told you to leave me alone! I just started to get my life back and you ruined it!"

"Oskar I'm sorry. I..."

"Sorry!? Sorry!? You've killed my mom!"

And with tears of anger flowing from his eyes he charged Eli, grabbed her by the collar, spun, and threw he against the jungle gym. The monkey bars caught her under her right underarm. She cut a flip and landed on all fours. Before she could get up he ran at her. "I told you not to follow me!" Then with all his might he delivered a kick into her side. She flew fifteen feet, cracking two ribs, and landed on her side facing away from him. She laid there motionless, willing here ribs to heal. When he walked up to grab her again she jumped up. Two clawed hands came slashing at him. The left struck his right cheek. The other slashed across his chest. He looked down at his chest, then back to her. The rage consumed him. He grabbed her by the chest again and with her feet dangling inches above the ground, he rammed her into the tree beside the jungle gym. His first victim so many years ago. The tree was much taller now and thicker. The old stab wounds long since healed. She grabbed his arms and tried to pull free. But in his rage he was much too strong. She screamed."Oskar stop! Someone is going to get hurt!" Through fanged teeth he growled. "You're going to get hurt..." And with that he moved his grip from her chest to his hands wrapped around her throat. She spun him around. Now she was ramming him against the tree trying to make him lose his grip. But then he threw his legs around her waist and squeezed tight, looking for better leverage. Her wind pipe was completely shut closed. She had no fear of suffocation since she had no need to breathe. But then she could feel it. His hands changing around her neck. She could feel claws stating to pierce her throat and the back of her neck. She could feel the vertebrae creek and the tendons in her neck about to snap. _He's going to kill me!_ She thought. She wanted to scream for him to stop but no words could leave her lips. With tears rolling down her eyes a clawed hand speared through Oskar's left side shattering ribs on its way in. Her hand wrapped around his cold heart and crushed it. Oskar gasped and released his grip. She caught him on the way down. Gently laying him down in the fresh snow. He looked at her for a few seconds, then his eyes closed. She laid both arms over his chest and laid her head on top of them. She whispered in a soft voice. "Oskar I'm so sorry. I never wanted this life for you. I never wanted you to hate me. Please forgive me." She slowly stood up. Tears filled her eyes. She ripped her sweater off and laid it over Oskar's face. She willed her arms into wings and, like a banshee, she took off into the night, screaming in remorse. A few hours later the sun came up turning all that was Oskar into ash. The wind picked up and spread his ashes all over the courtyard. The courtyard where he grew up and played. The courtyard where they met for the first time.

In an old warehouse she found a few miles away. Eli lay wrapped in a tarp, crying uncontrollably. "I'm truly cursed. Everyone I love is destined to die. I will never do that to anyone or myself again. Never again..."

THE END


End file.
